even in the face of overwhelming talent, a candidate fails to earn enough votes because of sympathetic votes cast for an underdog. voters likely thinking "Pia's gonna win anyway" thereby resulting in a shocking outcome when the obvious front-runner is eliminated.

How many sympathy votes can Stefano and Casey get? Must be the Pia Effect

Gee I wish Bush had won in 1992. Obviously a victim of the Pia effect with people sympathy-voting for Perot. Clinton ran away with it.